Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (June 1, 2017) — Under the direction of Artistic Director Tim Carroll, Bernard Shaw’s charming retelling of the beloved Aesop fableAndrocles and the Lion is an interactive spur-of-the-moment theatre experience. The fusing of audience engagement with music and song, along with Shaw’s delightful text, creates a distinctly different performance every time. Previews of Androcles and the Lion begin June 6 at the Court House Theatre.

In ancient Rome, Androcles, a fugitive Christian tailor, and his wife, Megaera are on the run from persecution. While hiding in the forest they meet up with a fierce lion. Though his wife flees, Androcles stands his ground. Noticing a large thorn embedded in its paw, Androcles removes it and tends to the lion. Man meets lion, man helps lion, and so begins one of Shaw’s most beguiling plays. But what happens next depends on the audience’s choices. This production is full of twists and turns, while always remaining faithful to the original text.

Dana Osborne’s flexible set and quick-change costumes, Kimberly Purtell’s lighting design, Alexis Milligan’s dance sequences and puppetry; and Paul Sportelli’s music direction and original compositions all work together to enhance the show’s fluidity, spontaneity and unpredictability.

Androcles and the Lion is on stage at the Court House Theatre (26 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake) from June 6 to October 7 (opening June 24).

This Shaw Festival production is proudly sponsored byCIBC and theGabriel Pascal Memorial Fund.

Direct bus service from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Shaw Express began April 5. Patrons can choose to come for one day or stay for the weekend with a round trip costing $25. A ticket to a 2017 Shaw Festival performance is required to access this service.

Tickets for the 2017 Festival season and Shaw Express are available through the Box Office and online at www.shawfest.com.

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About the Shaw Festival

The Shaw Festival celebrates the life and spirit of Bernard Shaw by creating theatre that is as entertaining and provocative as Shaw himself. For more information, please visit www.shawfest.com.